Summer Research Program Intern 2027, Electric Grid Communications Security, Energy Systems (Gr 47)

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing support

Relocation stipend

Shuttle service

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory offers a Summer Research Program Intern position in the Energy Systems Group. You will work on strengthening electric grid cybersecurity, integrating Zero Trust vendor solutions, and developing test harness software in a multi-disciplinary team.

Candidates should be pursuing a BS/MS/PhD in CS, EE, or related fields, with strong Python skills and experience in software design, scripting, and cybersecurity concepts.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in CS, electrical, mechanical, physics, mathematics or related engineering field.
• Strong problem-solving skills; ability to work in teams and individually; good written and oral communication.

Responsibilities

• Integrate zero trust (ZT) vendor solutions into the Hardware-In-the-Loop testbed.
• Develop test harness software for evaluation and testing.
• Assess effectiveness of cybersecurity solutions to mitigate attacks.

Skills

Python programming

Software development

Bash scripting

Cybersecurity concepts

OT cybersecurity

Education

BS/MS/PhD in CS/EE/ME/Physics/Math

Tools

Ansible

Infrastructure automation

HIL testbed

Job description

Summer Research Program Intern 2027, Electric Grid Communications Security, Energy Systems (Gr 47)

The Energy Systems Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory develops technology solutions that enhance the resilience and efficiency of both civilian and defense energy systems. This includes developing advanced architectures and system designs to improve the resilience of power grids, developing new control techniques for microgrids and distributed energy resources, and developing hardware and real-time simulation testbeds.

The Energy Systems Group seeks a summer intern to work within a multi-disciplinary team to help strengthen the cybersecurity of the electric grid. The candidate hired for this position will characterize technology solutions that enable electric utilities to secure Operational Technology (OT) networks and components. Securing these fundamental elements of the electric grid can help prevent a network intrusion from escalating into a consequential cyber-attack.

The candidate will help design, implement and conduct tests within MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) test facility. Tasks may include

• Integrating zero trust (ZT) vendor solutions into the testbed
• Developing test harness software
• Assessing effectiveness of the solutions to mitigate attacks

The data and analysis produced by the candidate will be integrated into guidelines and recommendations made by MIT Lincoln Laboratory to its government sponsors.

Candidates who are in the process of earning a B.S., M.S., and or Ph.D. in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, mathematics or other engineering discipline will be considered. Candidates must have strong problem-solving skills, work well in teams and independently, and possess effective written and oral communication skills.

A successful candidate is required to have software development skills with a particular focus on Python. In addition, candidates must demonstrate capability in a subset of the following areas:

• Software design, development, and testing
• Fundamentals in object-oriented programming and bash scripting
• Ansible and infrastructure automation
• Statistics and quantitative analysis
• Experimental design, instrumentation and measurement
• Cybersecurity concepts and methods, including Zero Trust
• Operational technology (OT) cybersecurity

The Summer Research Program offers students the chance to apply their academic knowledge to real-world national security challenges while working alongside leading scientists and engineers. As an SRP intern, you'll engage in hands‑on research, receive dedicated mentorship, and take part in professional development opportunities including workshops, tech talks, and networking events—all while building connections within a vibrant community of peers.

• Internships are typically 10–12 weeks, with flexible start and end dates, typically May through early August.
• Housing support is available for eligible non‑local interns, including access to discounted university housing in Boston and a one‑time taxable relocation payment.
• Complimentary daily shuttle transportation is provided from Boston‑based housing to and from the Lab.

Hourly pay rates are based on the highest academic year or degree completed before the internship start date.

• Freshman year completed: $25.00/hour
• Sophomore year completed: $27.00/hour
• Junior year completed: $29.00/hour
• 4th year of 5 year program completed, no degree conferred: $32.00/hour
• Bachelors completed: $34.50/hour
• Bachelors + 1, one year of graduate study completed: $36.50/hour
• Bachelors + 2, two years of graduate study completed: $38.00/hour
• MS completed: $39.00/hour

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre‑employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.